SEBAC: No Final Decisions On Next Move; Trying To Resolve Situation Before Any State Employees Are Laid Off

Top state union leaders indefinitely postponed a decision Monday on formally rejecting a concessions deal that was turned down by rank-and-file members - saying they will work to resolve the issue before any state employees are laid off.

Union leaders are scrambling for a resolution after state employees rejected a four-year, no-layoff agreement that included changes to their health and pension benefits. The top leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, or SEBAC, met Monday to plan their next step after four of the 15 unions rejected a deal that the union leaders and legislators had originally presumed would pass easily.

But some lawmakers, including Senate Republican leader John McKinney, say that the rejection shows that the well-paid union leaders are out of touch with the nearly 16,000 rank-and-file employees who voted against the deal. Overall, 57 percent of those voting cast ballots in favor of the deal, but the complicated union rules state that changes can be approved only with approval by at least 14 unions that represent 80 percent of the unionized state workers.

The final tally was 21,415 in favor and 15,988 against, according to Dan Livingston, the chief union negotiator.

SEBAC issued a statement Monday, known as a "membership update,'' that stated that the postponement was for 30 days. Later, however, two spokesmen said later that the written statement was a mistake and that the postponement is now indefinite.

The stakes are high because Malloy has been saying rejection of the deal would mean as many as 7,500 state employees could be laid off.

Malloy's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso, said the timeframe is tight because the new fiscal year begins Friday and the legislature has been called into special session Thursday to deal with a $700 million deficit that would have been filled by the union concessions.

"All I would say is the governor has to proceed as if there is no agreement because right now there isn't,'' Occhiogrosso said. "If it turns out that SEBAC, through its own internal process, can alter that, it's certainly something the governor would keep an open mind about. But today is June 27. ... It's his responsibility to make sure a balanced budget is in place by Thursday."

Occhiogrosso noted that no layoff notices have gone out yet, but that will probably start next week.

"There is certainly a window of time here" for the unions to try to resolve the situation, Occhiogrosso said, because there are procedural steps before people who receive layoff notices actually lose their jobs.

"The governor has to plan, going forward, as if there's no agreement," Occhiogrosso said. "If that should change, then I'm sure he would revisit the situation.''

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11 Comments

Look, Patrice Peterson is absolutely correct. The union members who voted No simply didn't understand the agreement, had been fooled by incorrect information (especially coming from the Yankee Institute and other right-wing organs), and would have voted Yes if they'd truly understood the terms of the deal. She is also correct that a plurality of members voted Yes, and therefore they need 30 days to go back to the drawing board to amend the bylaws. 30 days hardly seems like too much to ask for.

SEBAC doesn't like the outcome of the vote, so ,after the fact, they want to change the rules of the voting? are you kidding me!!! Whats next? the next presidential election, if we don't like the newly elected president, we just keep voting until the result we want happens??? doesn't sound like democracy to me!!!

The corruption of the Malloy administration and the union runs deep, very deep. So let me get this straight...the corrupt unions didn't like the outcome of the voting so they want to change the rules so that they get the outcome that they want !!! I think its time that a new union like the Teamsters gets voted in. Wait until my Attorney starts a class action and gets involved, yee hah !!!

I'm tired of "I didn't understand the agreement!" This is the biggest problem facing this country. YOU have to find out the facts yourself, not by listening to the media, rumors, or reading websites. Read the agreement! It's quite simple.

Malloy and his union cronies have created a colossal mess of the 'concession' plan with a "no" vote that the unions now want to disregard and a request by the Gov' to grant him complete line-item authority to pick and choose the cuts HE wants to make with no input from the legislature or taxpayers. With each passing day, Connecticut is looking more and more like Venezuela with Malloy acting like Commandante Chavez.

The so-called "balanced budget" wasn't balanced before the vote, and it won't be balanced after Malloy and his Democrat allies take their second bite at the apple. It was smoke and mirrors before, and it will be smoke and mirrors after Thursday's special budget session.

The unions made their rules, and now hey want to ignore them. How (in)convenient.

IF SEBAC SWITCHES THIS VOTE EVERY UNION PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT AND ORGANIZERS SHOULD BE VOTED OUT.I WILL MAKE IT MY MISSION IN LIFE TO DO SO.THEY DONT GET THEIR WAY SO LETS CHANGE THE RULES AS WE GO ALONG.IT WAS VOTED DOWN.I THINK IF THEY TRY A REVOTE EVERY UNION SHOULD HAVE A VOTE TO REDUCE THEIR UNION DUES BY HALF OR MORE.AFTER THIS PACKAGE IS DONE MAYBE WE SHOULD VOTE UNIONS OUT ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEIR NOT WORKING FOR US AMYMORE THEIR WORKING FOR THE STATE AND WE DON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE.

GOVERNOR: put your pants on and do what you said you would and stop messing around with the rest of us.. 15000 didnt understand??? In my place they let them go and when the need arose they hired contractors.
I dont wish anyone to lose their job but then we all have choices. NOTHING since I,ve been working has been GUARANTEED!

So the political tap dance begins. Changing the rules to achieve the desired result.
Such antics would make a banana republic blush.

Malloy has a golden opportunity to rein in unions, modify state pensions to exclude overtime and highest three years, raise the state workers' retirement age, cut unnecessary programs, discontinue longevity payments, etc. But will he? Perhaps not! Sadly the Governor squeaked into office courtesy of Union votes - will he bite the hand that feeds him and do the right thing or will he defer to the unions?

Maybe we'll impotently witness, in the next few days, a rapprochement twixt Governor and Union bosses, much back slapping and face saving rhetoric - State Workers will retain their sweetheart deal with layoffs confined to those of managerial/non union personnel and the Governor's union endorsement for the next election intact.
One thing's for sure though, the poor bloody taxpayer will foot the bill and realize our State is being held hostage by apparatchiks.

Layoff the 43% that didn't like the agreement - go find a better deal somewhere else and let the rest of us continue working under the new stiplulations. Good look to you idiots who voted "no" and put the rest of us in jeopardy.